1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a door closer adapter/replacement assembly having utility for converting a doorway equipped with an interiorly mounted door closer unit to usage with an exteriorly mounted door closer unit, wherein the interiorly mounted door closer unit includes an exteriorly protruding spindle having fixedly mounted thereon an arm secured to a door in the doorway.
2. description of the Related Art
Door closers are employed in a wide variety of buildings including stores, churches, schools, hospitals, and other public buildings with heavy doorway traffic. In such applications, door closers facilitate ingress and egress to building structures by relieving entering and leaving persons of the need to shut doors behind them. Further, by returning the doors on which they are employed to a closed position, such devices aid in conserving energy consumed by HVAC systems which are used to maintain a selected interior environment in the building which is different from the ambient exterior environment.
Door closers are generally characterized as being of two main types. Overhead door closers typically are concealed in the header structure of a doorway above the door. Examples of this type of door closer include the Jackson Model 20-330, commercially available from Jackson Exit Device Corporation (Los Angeles, CA) and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,246,362. Floor door closers are concealed in the flooring or threshold beneath a door and may be of various configurations, including center pivot and offset door closer structures. Examples include the PH 27 Series offset hung door closers and the PH 28 Series center hung floor closers commercially available from Rixson-Firemark Division of Conrac Corporation (Franklin Park, Ill.).
Regardless of whether the door closer is an overhead closer type or a floor closer type, the closer unit generally comprises a casing containing the mechanical and hydraulic components which effect return of the door to the desired closed position after it is displaced from such position. The casing is concealed in the header or threshold of the doorway, depending on the specific type of closer employed, and has a spindle protruding from the casing. The spindle typically has a square or generally rectangular cross-section. The spindle mounts an arm with an opening or slot of corresponding shape to the spindle, and mating therewith. The arm in turn is mechanically secured to the door. For such purpose, the arm may be edge mounted on an appropriate edge surface of the door, or it may be positioned in a recessed channel in the edge portion of the door and mechanically secured to the door, such as by means of mechanical fasteners.
A major problem with door closers of both major types is that their service life is typically very short relative to the useful life of the building structure in which they are employed. For example, overhead door closers may have a useful service life on the order of 3 million "openings" of the door on which they are employed. In high traffic locations, this service life may only be on the order of about 3-5 years.
Floor mounted door closers are generally more durably constructed and of heavier duty character than overhead door closers, but their service life in high traffic applications may only be on the order of 10-15 years.
At the end of its service life, the concealed character of the door closer, which has been a significant advantage during its service life for reasons of aesthetics, becomes a severe disadvantage since the door closer unit is not readily accessible for removal and replacement.
Specifically, replacement of overhead door closers may require disassembly of the header structure of a doorway, with removal of moldings, tearing out of sheetrock, etc., and subsequent repair of such damage.
In the case of floor mounted door closers, the threshold likewise must be torn up to retrieve the floor closer unit for replacement, and again repair and reconstruction of the threshold is necessary. Floor closers frequently are employed in concrete floorings and the demolition of the threshold and subsequent need for its repair are particularly disadvantageous in such instances.
In contrast to concealed door closers, exteriorly mounted door closers are readily removed, replaced, and repaired. Being exteriorly mounted, such door closer units are of course visible, but, particularly in recent years, such units have been designed to possess an aesthetic appearance and a compact structure.
In view of the tedious, time-consuming, and expensive character of replacing concealed door closers, it is an object of the present invention to provide a door closer adapter/replacement assembly having utility for converting a doorway equipped with an interiorly mounted door closer unit to usage with an exteriorly mounted door closer unit, which does not require any demolition or disassembly of headers or thresholds in which such concealed door closers are deployed.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully apparent from the ensuing disclosure and appended claims.